A Name Is Key To Unlocking Privacy

If that someone has ever registered to vote, been married or divorced, bought property or taken out a credit card, all it takes is a name.

From that starting point, The Morning Call built a dossier on state Rep. Donald W. Snyder, R-134th District. With Snyder's permission -- which wasn't legally required -- reporters spent two days searching public records for his name.

The 43-year-old Lehigh Valley representative and his wife, Nancy, were married 18-1/2 years ago by the Rev. George L. Harting at the United Church of Christ in South Whitehall Township.

He is repaying $79,500 in mortgage loans from Patriot Savings Bank of Pottstown on his four-bedroom Upper Macungie Township home appraised at $197,500.

Snyder, a lawyer, is in good standing with the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He hasn't bought a gun or been sued in the last 10 years and has a pet dog classified as a neutered male "schnoodle."

This information on Snyder came from tax assessment records, voter registration rolls, mortgage records, court records and marriage and dog licenses, most of which were found in the Lehigh County Courthouse. Some were on computer databases; others were still in paper form.

Being a politician, Snyder said he wasn't surprised at the amount of public information about individuals. But he guessed that the average citizen would be.

"There should be a greater awareness of the information being stored on people and who has access to it," Snyder said.

How long does it take to peek into someone's private life?

As long as it takes to punch a key on a computer, said Barry W. Ryan, a Harrisburg private investigator who helped reporters gain access to some of Snyder's private records.

In these days of computerized records and on-line access, private investigators, employers and journalists can get a glimpse inside someone's personal records without leaving the comfort of their computer chair, Ryan said.

He said the only legal way to access private records is with a signed release. However, while there are laws governing accessibility to public records, the punishment amounts to a slap on the wrist.

With Snyder's permission and Social Security number, Ryan tapped a myriad of computer databases to compile a profile on Snyder.

"It took me just a few minutes between calls to get driving records, a credit report and criminal history on Don Snyder," said Ryan, a former FBI agent.

He dug up the credit limits and outstanding balances of Snyder's Sears, Hess's and American Express credit cards.

All credit card issuers require a Social Security number for use as an identifier. It becomes part of a permanent file and is commingled with information in various private databases.

"If you've got somebody's Social Security number, you've got the starting point to identify that person for the rest of his God-given life," Ryan said.

Ryan found that Snyder has leased his cars from Chrysler credit corporation and Ford Motor Credit Corp.

Snyder paid off his last law school loan in 1992 and pays his electric bill on time.

When he was done with the financial records, Ryan checked Snyder for a criminal record, traffic violations, driver's license suspensions, and his most recent addresses.

He found that Snyder has never been arrested and seems to be a safe driver who doesn't move around much.

However, the state representative must wear glasses or contacts to drive and has a class "C" license, which means he can't legally drive a motorcycle.

When confronted with Ryan's findings, Snyder was a bit more incredulous than before. He questioned whether his credit report contained a mistaken entry for a line of credit he hasn't used for years.

"No one is accountable anymore for the information," he said. "When something goes wrong ... there's no one you can go to and say it's your fault. No one cares. There's no safeguard anymore. There's no checks and balances."

Ryan said his report on Snyder was just the beginning.

"There is a black market of information out there," Ryan said. "It will cost you premium dollars. But it's out there."

Unlike Snyder's case, such checks are made on people every day with little or no warning.